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夢喰見聞 #1
Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 1: Lost Things
Are you afraid your dreams will come true?
For those who suffer nightmares, help awaits at the Silver Star Tea House, where patrons can order much more than just Darjeeling. Hiruko is a special kind of private investigator. He's a dream eater. And he'll rid you of your darkest visions…for a price.
Dreams on the menu this a restless soul, a murderous beauty, a woman afraid of falling apart, a grieving lover, an unforgiving son, a suicidal actress and a mysterious voice on the other end of a lonely young man's phone.
For those who suffer nightmares, help awaits at the Silver Star Tea House, where patrons can order much more than just Darjeeling. Hiruko is a special kind of private investigator. He's a dream eater. And he'll rid you of your darkest visions…for a price.
Dreams on the menu this a restless soul, a murderous beauty, a woman afraid of falling apart, a grieving lover, an unforgiving son, a suicidal actress and a mysterious voice on the other end of a lonely young man's phone.
184 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2002
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514 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 25, 2018
I've only read volumes 1, 2, and 4 of this series, as that was all my library had; Goodreads listing suggests there may be 9. I liked the concept and the setup. A mysterious individual billed as a nightmare eater has set up shop in small tea house, with each chapter or so centering on a different client coming in with a different dream problem. From the background technology and costumes, time period seems to be late 1920s or early 1930s, post the Kanto earthquake by one remark.
The art seemed a little dark and muddled, but that may have been in part from reading it on a small paperback page, after being spoiled by the larger and brighter tablet screen for manga.
I think this is too small a sample to judge characterizations. The regulars had some promise as far as I got, not yet fulfilled. The dream-eating possessor-spirit of the unhappily deathless baku was the most intriguing so far.
Ta, L.
The art seemed a little dark and muddled, but that may have been in part from reading it on a small paperback page, after being spoiled by the larger and brighter tablet screen for manga.
I think this is too small a sample to judge characterizations. The regulars had some promise as far as I got, not yet fulfilled. The dream-eating possessor-spirit of the unhappily deathless baku was the most intriguing so far.
Ta, L.
August 4, 2014
Baku* can eat your dreams. They need to eat dreams. The worse your dreams are, the better tasting and more nourishing they are to the baku. However the baku are not evil or cruel; they are helpful and assist people in understanding the messages of their dreams and working through personal problems so they can stop having nightmares.
Hiruko is a baku who appears to just hang out at the Silver Star Tea House waiting for people to bring him their nightmares. The manga is episodic, with each client/dream essentially forming a short story. Most of them were pretty simple. I would have liked more development of each character in order to care more about their lives and nightmares.
But the stories were okay. My main complaint is the art. Specifically, the people. They all look exactly the same. Same, face, same body, even the same hair style with only length and accessories changing. When the male supernatural creature, the screen starlet, and the lady who keeps the tea house all look the same... it's just weak. Except for a couple stories the visual clues were not very important, so the art was more a distraction than an aid. I think I would have preferred this as a collection of short stories with no art, or maybe one illustration per story. (I did like the one with the boy who visualized his dream surroundings as characters.)
Baku by Katsushika Hokusai
*"Baku" is also the word for tapir. But Hiruki is not a tapir, nor, despite what you might think looking at the cover, is he a girl.
Hiruko is a baku who appears to just hang out at the Silver Star Tea House waiting for people to bring him their nightmares. The manga is episodic, with each client/dream essentially forming a short story. Most of them were pretty simple. I would have liked more development of each character in order to care more about their lives and nightmares.
But the stories were okay. My main complaint is the art. Specifically, the people. They all look exactly the same. Same, face, same body, even the same hair style with only length and accessories changing. When the male supernatural creature, the screen starlet, and the lady who keeps the tea house all look the same... it's just weak. Except for a couple stories the visual clues were not very important, so the art was more a distraction than an aid. I think I would have preferred this as a collection of short stories with no art, or maybe one illustration per story. (I did like the one with the boy who visualized his dream surroundings as characters.)
Baku by Katsushika Hokusai
*"Baku" is also the word for tapir. But Hiruki is not a tapir, nor, despite what you might think looking at the cover, is he a girl.
October 22, 2012
I really enjoy the concept of this manga; it is reminiscent of xxxholic, with it's focus on a shop that helps people with their problems. This volume included 7 chapters, each dealing with a different individual who wanted their nightmares to be fixed or altered by Hiruko. Hiruko is the Nightmare Inspector who walks with people into their nightmares to figure out why they are having them, and what they can do to change the fate of them.
The nightmares are dark and mysterious, with plenty instances of murder, suicide, and missing limbs to keep them intriguing. One of the women who seeks Hiruko's help keeps leaving parts of herself behind in her dream, an ear here, a hand there, which signify pieces of her memories that she wants to forget. Hiruko helps her find these body parts in her nightmare and helps her discover why she would rather forget these memories. This case solved, Hiruko eats the person's nightmare, and the next case begins. And this is exactly why the manga only received 3 stars from me. The monotony of it is never broken up by a larger story arc, or at least not in this volume. For now it seems content to follow it's "monster of the week" format, like some filler episode of Supernatural. Nothing about Hiruko intrigued me, and the plot did not develop at all.
I'm going to stick with the series and hope that there is more to it than there has been thus far. Overall the stories are interesting, the writing is very good, and the art perfectly compliments the macabre atmosphere of the stories.
The nightmares are dark and mysterious, with plenty instances of murder, suicide, and missing limbs to keep them intriguing. One of the women who seeks Hiruko's help keeps leaving parts of herself behind in her dream, an ear here, a hand there, which signify pieces of her memories that she wants to forget. Hiruko helps her find these body parts in her nightmare and helps her discover why she would rather forget these memories. This case solved, Hiruko eats the person's nightmare, and the next case begins. And this is exactly why the manga only received 3 stars from me. The monotony of it is never broken up by a larger story arc, or at least not in this volume. For now it seems content to follow it's "monster of the week" format, like some filler episode of Supernatural. Nothing about Hiruko intrigued me, and the plot did not develop at all.
I'm going to stick with the series and hope that there is more to it than there has been thus far. Overall the stories are interesting, the writing is very good, and the art perfectly compliments the macabre atmosphere of the stories.
May 7, 2011
I liked this series, I really did. It was based on this character who is able to eat your nightmares.. so if you had a nightmare you went to his tea house, and you told it to him. He would use a magic cane and would be able to enter your nightmare with you and investigate... many times he was able to find the problem and then could take the nightmare away from you.. often, each story had kind of a "twilight zone" feel to it because you found out what was causing the nightmare which could be intense guilt over something you had done, or worse, so even getting rid of the nightmare was not the solution. But good.
Then there was also a man in town that was in charge of fantasies and you could go to him to indulge in your fantasy, but if you did that, you would be trapped in a room and never would leave.
The reason that I have this four stars is because the final volumes got really confusing as to what was real, what was a nightmare and what was a fantasy, and involved another nightmare inspector, the previous on, that had vanished, and a strange suitcase that the current one was carrying around, and I started to lose the thread and was not sure what had even happened at the end. But up to about volume seven it is pretty easy to follow and pretty interesting. Not my favorite of what I read, but none the less worth reading.
Then there was also a man in town that was in charge of fantasies and you could go to him to indulge in your fantasy, but if you did that, you would be trapped in a room and never would leave.
The reason that I have this four stars is because the final volumes got really confusing as to what was real, what was a nightmare and what was a fantasy, and involved another nightmare inspector, the previous on, that had vanished, and a strange suitcase that the current one was carrying around, and I started to lose the thread and was not sure what had even happened at the end. But up to about volume seven it is pretty easy to follow and pretty interesting. Not my favorite of what I read, but none the less worth reading.
November 28, 2012
It starts out as a series of one shots following Hiruko, a baku (dream eater) who helps people sort out their nightmares in exchange to be able to eat said nightmares.
This actually reminds me a bit of xxxHolic at the start. Some stories end well, others badly, but they all make you think and show you a side to human nature one might not want to think of.
The art is nice, though some of the shading seems a little odd (Hiruko is blond on the cover, but they shade in his hair in the black-and-white).
Overall, it's pretty good.
This actually reminds me a bit of xxxHolic at the start. Some stories end well, others badly, but they all make you think and show you a side to human nature one might not want to think of.
The art is nice, though some of the shading seems a little odd (Hiruko is blond on the cover, but they shade in his hair in the black-and-white).
Overall, it's pretty good.
February 3, 2022
Hiruko, a baku, hangs out in the Silver Star Tea House for people to bring him nightmares which he then eats.
This was essentially a series of episodic short stories with a different person coming to Hiruko in each one. I particularly liked the portion where a woman who keeps missing body parts in her dreams asks Hiruko for help. Not all of the endings are happy. I'll give another one in the series a try because there were some good creepy moments.
This was essentially a series of episodic short stories with a different person coming to Hiruko in each one. I particularly liked the portion where a woman who keeps missing body parts in her dreams asks Hiruko for help. Not all of the endings are happy. I'll give another one in the series a try because there were some good creepy moments.
August 16, 2020
cw: suicide, blood, severed body parts, death of a loved one, parental abuse
This was actually a reread for me and I'm so glad I'm revisiting this series. I recently realized that I never finished the series and since I read the first seven volumes probably 5+ years ago, I had to do a reread.
This manga follows Hiruko who is a Baku, or a dream eater. He works as a Nightmare Inspector out of the Silver Star Tea House. Patrons come to him with their troubles and he follows them into their dreams. His only requirement is that he be allowed to consume the nightmare once they are finished.
I loved this when I first read and I still do now. It's episodic and follows different characters throughout, though Hiruko and the tea shop owner are reoccurring. I do enjoy this a format since each chapter is very much it's own little story but there is no overarching connection besides the two MCs. This second time around, I can see that a few could have been longer or had more develop but it overall succeeds in what it is trying to do.
I also feel like this could have gone even further in the horror aspects though this is much more psychological than it is about physical.
My favorite part is and has always been, Hiruko. As a Baku, he's no longer human but there's a coldness to him when he surveys these nightmares. He doesn't generally care much what the dreamer cares about; he's interested in the why or the aftermath as that is far more intriguing. He also has a preference for bloodier dreams or nightmares where the dreamers suffer. He's mostly interested in his own sustenance and guiding the dreamer to the meaning of the dreams for the sake of both their sense of relief and his own self-interest. The extra tidbits at the end with information about his Formalin is also a nice addition.
This was actually a reread for me and I'm so glad I'm revisiting this series. I recently realized that I never finished the series and since I read the first seven volumes probably 5+ years ago, I had to do a reread.
This manga follows Hiruko who is a Baku, or a dream eater. He works as a Nightmare Inspector out of the Silver Star Tea House. Patrons come to him with their troubles and he follows them into their dreams. His only requirement is that he be allowed to consume the nightmare once they are finished.
I loved this when I first read and I still do now. It's episodic and follows different characters throughout, though Hiruko and the tea shop owner are reoccurring. I do enjoy this a format since each chapter is very much it's own little story but there is no overarching connection besides the two MCs. This second time around, I can see that a few could have been longer or had more develop but it overall succeeds in what it is trying to do.
I also feel like this could have gone even further in the horror aspects though this is much more psychological than it is about physical.
My favorite part is and has always been, Hiruko. As a Baku, he's no longer human but there's a coldness to him when he surveys these nightmares. He doesn't generally care much what the dreamer cares about; he's interested in the why or the aftermath as that is far more intriguing. He also has a preference for bloodier dreams or nightmares where the dreamers suffer. He's mostly interested in his own sustenance and guiding the dreamer to the meaning of the dreams for the sake of both their sense of relief and his own self-interest. The extra tidbits at the end with information about his Formalin is also a nice addition.
April 6, 2019
I picked this up because I enjoyed Yokai Rental Shop and wanted to see if Shin Mashiba’s earlier work was as good. The premise sounded interesting and I wasn’t disappointed. Written more as an anthology of stories surrounding Hiruko, a Baku or Dream Eater Who helps people with their nightmare’s, then consumes the nightmares for sustenance. Each person who enters his tea shop has an interesting story surrounding their nightmare and Hiruko helps them work through it, although not always with happy results.
I enjoy this kind of anthology storytelling, but it may not be for everyone. The downside is that you don’t really connect on a deep level with the characters, however, the concepts in each story were kind of fascinating, the world-building was really cool - taking place in an 1800’s era place, and the aesthetic overall was mysterious and well drawn. It definitely gave me xXX Holic vibes and I really enjoyed that series, so I’ll definitely continue this one and see how it progresses and if we get a chance to learn more about Hiruko and is mysterious abilities.
I enjoy this kind of anthology storytelling, but it may not be for everyone. The downside is that you don’t really connect on a deep level with the characters, however, the concepts in each story were kind of fascinating, the world-building was really cool - taking place in an 1800’s era place, and the aesthetic overall was mysterious and well drawn. It definitely gave me xXX Holic vibes and I really enjoyed that series, so I’ll definitely continue this one and see how it progresses and if we get a chance to learn more about Hiruko and is mysterious abilities.
July 30, 2023
tw/cw: body horror, suicide, blood & gore, depiction of abuse & manipulation
"Sleep now. Leave this world behind."
This is a fantasy mystery series that I recently thrifted. One might just mistake this for the craft of the group Clamp. There’s that mysterious air to it, paired with stunning visuals. Set in the late years of the Taisho era at the Ginseikan Tea House, Hiruko, a baku, consumes nightmares as sustenance. He helps his patrons make sense of their dreams and fears and end their suffering. I was not expecting it to be incredibly haunting and dark, but what are nightmares if not disturbing? I’m having trouble finding its wow factor, but the premise is definitely intriguing enough for me to continue. It’s a very mellow manga; I think it's because the protagonist is quite chill.
"Sleep now. Leave this world behind."
This is a fantasy mystery series that I recently thrifted. One might just mistake this for the craft of the group Clamp. There’s that mysterious air to it, paired with stunning visuals. Set in the late years of the Taisho era at the Ginseikan Tea House, Hiruko, a baku, consumes nightmares as sustenance. He helps his patrons make sense of their dreams and fears and end their suffering. I was not expecting it to be incredibly haunting and dark, but what are nightmares if not disturbing? I’m having trouble finding its wow factor, but the premise is definitely intriguing enough for me to continue. It’s a very mellow manga; I think it's because the protagonist is quite chill.
November 14, 2021
I have only started to read Nightmare Inspector it is a bit of a slow start to the beginning chapters I found it interesting each little story draws you in to each character so you never know what to expect. The Third Night Lost Things really stuck in my mind for days the bizarre reality of the story takes you back a peg especially with the hints of gore every think like felt so real.
Although I took me a while to Hiruko blunt sadistic nature I carry on reading Nightmare Inspector to see how the dreams plan out maybe on of the nightmares would come to life in the real world.
Although I took me a while to Hiruko blunt sadistic nature I carry on reading Nightmare Inspector to see how the dreams plan out maybe on of the nightmares would come to life in the real world.
April 9, 2018
I was expecting this story to have a more fluid plotline; instead, this book has a bunch of smaller episode-like stories. I do enjoy the premise--which was why I picked it up--bit I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the rest of the series.
August 18, 2018
I don't really like the design of the main character Hiruko, nor his personality very much. But the stories are good. They remind me of Petshop of Horrors, because of their episodic nature and the framing device of a shop that deals with the supernatural.
February 2, 2019
It contains separate stories. No background on the main characters or story arc in this first book.
October 20, 2024
Cool art very surreal idk if I will read more
July 10, 2012
*4 stars*
*The Gush*
I was not expecting to like this series. When my friend told me I should read it, I at first was planning on saying no. However, I ended up saying ok with the thought that I'd give the first one a try and then not read the rest. Boy was I wrong. I started this series last night and by this morning I've already finished the third book. Not my normal cup of tea (or coffee with this story ;P) but I'm glad I took the chance.
The story centers around the Silver Star Tea Room, a business in 1920's Japan run by a young lady, Mizuki. However, nobody comes here to drink tea or coffee; instead they come to meet the baku Hiruko. A baku is a demon who eats and lives off dreams. Hiruko has the appearance of a young boy and people come to the tea room so that he will walk them through their dreams and help them in exchange for their nightmare to eat. While he claims he only does this for the nightmare, he does seem to go out of his way to help his customers and seems sad when it doesn't seem to work. He is a very interesting and contradictory character.
Characters:
While many people come and go through the tea room, their nightmares are more interesting than they themselves are. The ones to focus on are Mizuki and Hiruko. In this book, Mizuki seems like a background character, commenting and welcoming customers but simply a way to learn more about Hiruko. The baku himself is a little bit more developed. We see him take an interest in the people that come to him, though he claims to only care about his next meal. He appears to be a young boy but he often acts much older. He is a very interesting character with a lot of potential.
Plot:
The book is broken up into small chapters each with its own new character suffering from a nightmare. The chapter is the baku walking through the dream with them and helping them work though it. Since they're nightmares, most of them are pretty dark and depressing and the ending is often up to characters. While the author has not done much about it yet, there appears to be an overarching story about Mizuki and Hiruko, but it's very faint in this one.
Writing and Drawing:
Shin Mashiba is a very talented artist with a gorgous drawing style. The setting is very detailed and the characters are very well rendered. The writing (also done by the artist) is very well thought out and each chapter flows into the other as well as keeping your interest even with little knowledge of the person the nightmare is about. This is a very well put together manga.
*The Rant*
My only real problem is the reason I had to mark this for spoilers. I realize Hiruko is a baku, a demon, but he really tries to help people in their nightmares and they all seem to end the same-very badly. Almost none of these stories end well and despite the short time you spend with the customers, you do come to care about them. So to see every single one of them go out with such hope and see it shot down later is very disappointing. The one I was most disgusted with was the one where the customer chose to leave a body part behind in the dream which represented a memory she would forget. After they come out of the dream, her former boyfriend runs in with a policeman saying she stabbed him. She is then able to say quite honestly that she has no recollection of the event. I nearly threw the book.
Other than the bad endings, this is a good series and I'm glad I read it.
*Conclusion*
This is a great series and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the artist has in store for us. The drawing style is good and the writing engaging. If you like supernatural manga or manga set in historical periods in Japan, this is a good series to pick up.
*The Gush*
I was not expecting to like this series. When my friend told me I should read it, I at first was planning on saying no. However, I ended up saying ok with the thought that I'd give the first one a try and then not read the rest. Boy was I wrong. I started this series last night and by this morning I've already finished the third book. Not my normal cup of tea (or coffee with this story ;P) but I'm glad I took the chance.
The story centers around the Silver Star Tea Room, a business in 1920's Japan run by a young lady, Mizuki. However, nobody comes here to drink tea or coffee; instead they come to meet the baku Hiruko. A baku is a demon who eats and lives off dreams. Hiruko has the appearance of a young boy and people come to the tea room so that he will walk them through their dreams and help them in exchange for their nightmare to eat. While he claims he only does this for the nightmare, he does seem to go out of his way to help his customers and seems sad when it doesn't seem to work. He is a very interesting and contradictory character.
Characters:
While many people come and go through the tea room, their nightmares are more interesting than they themselves are. The ones to focus on are Mizuki and Hiruko. In this book, Mizuki seems like a background character, commenting and welcoming customers but simply a way to learn more about Hiruko. The baku himself is a little bit more developed. We see him take an interest in the people that come to him, though he claims to only care about his next meal. He appears to be a young boy but he often acts much older. He is a very interesting character with a lot of potential.
Plot:
The book is broken up into small chapters each with its own new character suffering from a nightmare. The chapter is the baku walking through the dream with them and helping them work though it. Since they're nightmares, most of them are pretty dark and depressing and the ending is often up to characters. While the author has not done much about it yet, there appears to be an overarching story about Mizuki and Hiruko, but it's very faint in this one.
Writing and Drawing:
Shin Mashiba is a very talented artist with a gorgous drawing style. The setting is very detailed and the characters are very well rendered. The writing (also done by the artist) is very well thought out and each chapter flows into the other as well as keeping your interest even with little knowledge of the person the nightmare is about. This is a very well put together manga.
*The Rant*
My only real problem is the reason I had to mark this for spoilers. I realize Hiruko is a baku, a demon, but he really tries to help people in their nightmares and they all seem to end the same-very badly. Almost none of these stories end well and despite the short time you spend with the customers, you do come to care about them. So to see every single one of them go out with such hope and see it shot down later is very disappointing. The one I was most disgusted with was the one where the customer chose to leave a body part behind in the dream which represented a memory she would forget. After they come out of the dream, her former boyfriend runs in with a policeman saying she stabbed him. She is then able to say quite honestly that she has no recollection of the event. I nearly threw the book.
Other than the bad endings, this is a good series and I'm glad I read it.
*Conclusion*
This is a great series and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the artist has in store for us. The drawing style is good and the writing engaging. If you like supernatural manga or manga set in historical periods in Japan, this is a good series to pick up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2008
Overall Rating: F
Summary: An episodic manga featuring Hiruko, a Baku, a dream eater. Hiruko runs a tea house where people come for his help with their nightmares. After negotiating a price (so far it has always been their dream), Hiruko enters their dream and "fixes" things. Usually this means using common sense and being a stoic ass. After "fixing" things, Hiruko sends the client on their merry way (or not so merry since one ends up dying in real life), and then eats their dream. Mmmmm dreamalicious.
In case it's not already obvious, I really didn't like this manga. Every chapter involves different characters and their dreams with the only consistent aspect being Hiruko (who is boring and has the personality of carboard) and his assistant, whose name I can't even remember (I read this one in B&N last night, so I don't have it on hand for reference). There are a lot of manga with this sort of episodic supernatural theme, but this is one of the worst I've read. Do not bother with it, unless you enjoy being disappointed.
For more manga and anime reviews, please check out Hobotaku.
Summary: An episodic manga featuring Hiruko, a Baku, a dream eater. Hiruko runs a tea house where people come for his help with their nightmares. After negotiating a price (so far it has always been their dream), Hiruko enters their dream and "fixes" things. Usually this means using common sense and being a stoic ass. After "fixing" things, Hiruko sends the client on their merry way (or not so merry since one ends up dying in real life), and then eats their dream. Mmmmm dreamalicious.
In case it's not already obvious, I really didn't like this manga. Every chapter involves different characters and their dreams with the only consistent aspect being Hiruko (who is boring and has the personality of carboard) and his assistant, whose name I can't even remember (I read this one in B&N last night, so I don't have it on hand for reference). There are a lot of manga with this sort of episodic supernatural theme, but this is one of the worst I've read. Do not bother with it, unless you enjoy being disappointed.
For more manga and anime reviews, please check out Hobotaku.
March 16, 2014
For a manga that I actually like fairly well, this one gets off to one head-scratcher of a bad start.
Well... maybe not bad so much as WTF. I came in expecting a vaguely horror-themed comics and the first chapter is just so weird. Not for introducing out main character Hiruko, a Baku who eats dreams. No, because of the true identity of the first client Hiruko helps. I won't spoil it for you, because it's fairly lolarious.
But luckily after that things get darker and more serious. While I wasn'ty actually scared by anything in this, there are definitely some creepy and unsettling chapters, looking at the way people can lie to themselves and the horrible things they can visit on other people. My favorite in this lot was probably the woman who had a dream where she would write "tomorrow will be a repeat of today" on the floor. But driven to distraction by an endlessly repeating cycle of sameness seemingly brought on by the dream, one night she changes the message. And what she changes it to is so horrifying to her that she seeks out help to save her from it might make her do.
An entertaining introduction, dark, fun and interesting to me.
Well... maybe not bad so much as WTF. I came in expecting a vaguely horror-themed comics and the first chapter is just so weird. Not for introducing out main character Hiruko, a Baku who eats dreams. No, because of the true identity of the first client Hiruko helps. I won't spoil it for you, because it's fairly lolarious.
But luckily after that things get darker and more serious. While I wasn'ty actually scared by anything in this, there are definitely some creepy and unsettling chapters, looking at the way people can lie to themselves and the horrible things they can visit on other people. My favorite in this lot was probably the woman who had a dream where she would write "tomorrow will be a repeat of today" on the floor. But driven to distraction by an endlessly repeating cycle of sameness seemingly brought on by the dream, one night she changes the message. And what she changes it to is so horrifying to her that she seeks out help to save her from it might make her do.
An entertaining introduction, dark, fun and interesting to me.
December 5, 2012
Gorgeous art and a quiet story line that brings xxxHolic to mind, Nightmare Inspector tells the story of a dream eating Baku who lives inside of a tea shop, waiting for customers who bring their bad dreams for him to get rid of by devouring them.
It follows no story line, similar again to CLAMPS Holic, which is about a witch named Yukio who grants peoples wishes and dreams and is broken up into separate chapters all that follow a mini story.
The character designs are interesting though so far the only recurring characters is Hiruko the dream eater, and the woman who owns the tea shop, the art is beautiful and the stories are all interesting, unfortunately because of the way the manga is written it isn't very intriguing plot wise and after flipping through a few more volumes it seems to follow that same pattern of mini stories.
All in all Nightmare Inspector is a nicely done manga with a Gothic flair, the art is nice and the characters are interesting enough, recommended to fans of xxxHolic and anyone who enjoys a nice, quiet manga read. 3 stars.
It follows no story line, similar again to CLAMPS Holic, which is about a witch named Yukio who grants peoples wishes and dreams and is broken up into separate chapters all that follow a mini story.
The character designs are interesting though so far the only recurring characters is Hiruko the dream eater, and the woman who owns the tea shop, the art is beautiful and the stories are all interesting, unfortunately because of the way the manga is written it isn't very intriguing plot wise and after flipping through a few more volumes it seems to follow that same pattern of mini stories.
All in all Nightmare Inspector is a nicely done manga with a Gothic flair, the art is nice and the characters are interesting enough, recommended to fans of xxxHolic and anyone who enjoys a nice, quiet manga read. 3 stars.
January 3, 2024
Like Tarot Cafe and Petshop of Horrors, the allure to Nightmare Inspector lie in the individual tales that are shown through Hiruko, the titular Nightmare Inspector. Every nightmare that he dives into is "delectable" in its own way. I enjoy the darkness threaded throughout, the human unkindness, the gore and mystery. This won't be everyone's cup of tea (haha) but there's plenty to like. 5/5
June 11, 2009
I liked this well enough, I suppose-- I'm really looking for something with a bit of a scary supernatural edge, more than the sort of philosophical possession of Mushishi or the hipster gross outs of Kurosagi, and this isn't that. But that doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing-- there's something like an ironic twist to a lot of these stories, but that could quickly evolve into something revealing about what human's desire. Or it could devolve into shlock-- I'll probably give it another volume to see which direction it goes in.
What's up with the character designs? The lead character seems to wear a belt around his head.
What's up with the character designs? The lead character seems to wear a belt around his head.
January 11, 2013
This series is amazing so far. I'm on the fifth book, and eagerly await more. My only problem is, as someone mentioned before, majority of Hiruko's customer's stories end badly. When I found out what happened with the girl who was having the nightmare about the blank space with the words, I was quite upset (and disturbed for that matter). What hit it there for me was when Hiruko said "My only concern is my sustenance." I was angry at the baku for not doing something different. I know that he was only writing what she wanted him to write, but there are some times when the customer is WRONG. I really pitied the girl. Anyways, great series and impossible to put down!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2008
This thing was bizarre -- not the good kind of bizarre that makes you smile and shudder -- it's just plain weird. For example, the first dream the baku character encounters ends up not being from a human at all, but a metal weather vane dreaming of the dead body hidden in the cupola upon which it sits. What?? Is this something of cultural significance that does not easily translate to Western readers? Not sure.
October 9, 2008
While I will admit this series doesn't have quite the same rhythm that I usually find interesting in a manga series, I find myself completely hooked. Each chapter (or occasionally 2 chapters) deals with a particular nightmare that someone has come to see Hiruko, a nightmare eating demon, to get rid of. Every nightmare has deeper meaning that Hiruko must uncover in order to help his "customer". I find that each story manages to convey its message even within the limited number of pages.
June 9, 2011
This manga series is about a Baku, one who eats nightmares. He offers to solve people's dream problems, if he can eat their nightmares when done. The revelations revealed through the nightmare explorations are both good and bad. "Nightmare Inspector, Vol. 1" started off great! I know that I am just going to read the whole series through in a matter of days. They are just that good and not too too taxing on the mind. But totally worth the time and effort spent!
November 12, 2009
Highly enjoyable. What I particularly liked about this Manga is that it's set in the 1920's, and it has a Gothic/vintage feel to it that I really liked. The story is about a guy named Hiruko, who has the ability to enter people's nightmares and alter them. Decent writing, beautiful drawings, and easy to follow storylines made this one of my favorites.
July 8, 2011
I'm not sure what audience this is intended for, but it fell way short of my expectations. The "short stories" are so short that they seriously lack depth. The atmosphere of the art and the art itself are lovely, but there's just no substance here. I have a short attention span, and enjoy short stories usually. These just feel forced, contrived, and repetitive.
decided-not-to-read
February 21, 2012I stumbled across this while I was searching the library catalogue for something else. The title was interesting, so I decided to give it a look. However, the chapters seemed rather repetitive, and I'm pretty sure that the clothing of some of the characters was all wrong for 1920s Japan. (Not including the main character, because supernatural entities get to dress however they want.)
August 18, 2014
The first story was most imaginative. The others felt formulaic, especially with the MC's pat psychological assessments of the dreams near the end of each story. I liked the art more than the narratives. The cliffhanger at the end of the volume promises to problematize the MC's cursory understanding of that last case, which is why I'll go ahead and read volume 2.
July 12, 2009
Meh. The art is enjoyable, but the story is all too familiar, and it lacks a spark to make it really stand out from all of the other "tales in the supernatural shoppe" stories. I had the second volume on hand as well and read it to see if the characters developed more, and they really don't.
December 20, 2018
Stories about a Baku (a creature that eats nightmares) and the people who come to him for help. Similar to Petshop of Horrors, each chapter is an independent story with new characters and a new nightmare, but the stories are less interesting.
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